Patterns & Grace: A Black & White Fantasy Paper Doll

This printable paper doll set began as a chance to experiment and practice drawing pattern. It ended as an experience best summed up as… “Why did I ever decide I wanted to draw that stupid scrawling floral pattern and it’s a total pain to ink and it’s a total pain to color and I hate my life…”

Not shockingly, this set took me longer to finish than it should have. The full-color version goes up next week and you can all decide if it was worth the agony of the floral pattern from the pits of Hell.

Moving rapidly along, the paper doll that was supposed to go up with week was going to be Halloween themed, but since she didn’t get finished, we have a back up fantasy paper doll set instead.

Also, can I add, that from this paper doll’s accessories she leads a really surreal life- a sword for fighting, a letter for writing, a book for reading, yarn for knitting and a pitcher for… I don’t know… recreational water pouring? There’s no glass so I guess… she drinks from the pitcher? Hmm…

Clearly someone (and that means me) didn’t think this through. She wasn’t going to have a sword, but I had an extra from Silk and Steel and I figured that she could share the love.

By the way, if you have an opinion on the fate of the Dictionary Girls let me know.

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10 comments

When I click the PDF to print, it brings up “In the 1940s…”. It is the only way I can print the doll. It is a pretty doll, and I would love to color it if it would print out the right one. Please fix it some how!

I’m sorry to hear that the patterns have put you to such trouble, but the result was well worth the while, they are _so_ beutiful!
My guess about the accessories is that this doll is some sort of post-Renaissance supermodel. She is currently posing for a fresco depicting the Cardinal virtues: hence the sword (fortitude or justice), the book (prudence/wisdom) and the pitcher (temperance). She is also some sort of erudite/spy/gossip columnist writing potentially dangerous/embarassing material (hence the quill and precious paper/fine vellum scrolls).
In order to avoid being detected by the Inquisition/the palace police/the wife of the famous painter she is gossiping about, she hides her manuscript under the skeins in the basket: knitting, this most innocent and feminine activity provides her with a perfect cover.
She could also be genuinely interested in knitting of course. In that case she is most probably writing a crossword puzzle to be found by a 21st century young museum curator who, while trying to solve the mistery it poses (which, of course, will involve paint-staking analysis of the above mentioned frescos and speculations about the relations between painter and model) will uncover a major political plot spanning five centuries of European and American history….

What is certain is that both Marisole and the Pixies are having a lot of fun and lead adventurous lives, albeit of the imagination.
Might this be what the dictionary girls are lacking at the moment?
What about drawing a 17th century spy kit (complete with cloak, dagger and poison-filled locket) for them too?

Love her hair…. When my cousin and I were colouring her she accidentally got purple hair…… (We were in dim light…) 🙂 You should do a female Marisole Monday version of King Arthur… Queen Ariana perhaps? 🙂